[Beauty Supplement] Eat Your Way to Taut Skin - Review: Meiji Amino Collagen
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. The product is purchased with my own money.Update: 18/9/14
Since this post has been garnering so many views per day, I would like to add on just a few things.
*Note: I've heard from countless of people saying that ingesting collagen does not help at all to replace the skin's collagen levels. There is still no concluding studies, however. As a student from what I've learnt from the books, yes, it does not. As a consumer who has tried out the products, I do feel a difference, however small. Such as the betterment of blood circulation, but not in the visible reduction of any wrinkles.
In this review, product information is from the manufacturer. What I provide here in this review is not a concluding example of whether it works, but if it tastes okay.
Alrighties, without any further ado lets go ahead with this post! (In the meantime I apologize for the delay of the Taiwan itinerary *insert cute Asian facial expression* okay, I found one! >.< )
Before I start off, the first question you might ask would probably be my age. Yes, I'm soon-to-be 19. I bought this powder for my mom, but I've been stealing spoonfuls of it
Lifestyle
Don't lie okay?! I'm trying my best to help by providing with this checklist! Hahaa, but please don't fall for any long checklists on "product description" of product listings (its just to psycho your brain into buying). This is perfectly normal for a human being and you don't need almighty products to help you attain 'flawless-looking' skin. I'm just stating here that these could be some of the factors that contribute to the deterioration of skin. I wonder why eating preservatives doesn't give the same effect.
- Do you put on makeup on a daily basis?
- Do you skip sunscreen often?
- Spending majority of the day outdoors/near the windows/ in front of the computer screen?
- Blasting aircon indoors?
- Skip moisturizer on 'selected' days?
Sorry but I've to address the first and foremost question, as a bio student, I cannot help but to be appalled when people really think that these 'collagen powder' is collagen. They are amino acids!
I was pretty skeptical when the hype of consuming these dietary supplement first comes but as I read more reviews, I've decided to give this product a try. I chose Meiji just because it is more reputable and have a longer time in the market. It somehow translates to me as 'more reviews by more Guinea pigs' XD! ( but hey, I'm supposed to be honest in reviews, right? I'm a guinea pig for you too!)
Collagen:
Collagen is a protein present in all the body’s organs and tissues. Collagen’s main function is to sustain tendons, skin and cartilage. Collagen is a large molecule and it is too large to be absorbed through the skin (ie. through your topical skincare products like masks, lotion etc). Production of collagen together with elastin and other structural proteins of the skin will start to decline around the mid-20s.
Ingredients:
Also, since these collagen peptides are fish-derived, it is safe for consumption for muslim friends :D Marine collagen have a lower molecular weight and absorbs faster due to its similar properties with human skin collagen. (up to 1.5 times more absorbable)
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*pretends to be reading Japanese* Hahaa, basically it means that the powder can be dissolved in both hot and cold water.
*face palm*
Okay larh, these are the FAQs provided by the Meiji SG site
Purchase
I got my mom a twin refill pack (each good for 30 days of consumption) from a Japanese seller through Qoo10 (got them at SGD$63.90). I've also chanced upon other sellers but after reading of the reviews (seller's response, packaging, air mail speed, price, authenticity), I decided to stick with this seller.
Consumption
I reckon I must be the first dare devil to do this. I licked the powder off the spoon on my first intake! hahaa I think I'm nuts but I wanted to try the taste! Hold your horses, the most freaky part of it is that I quite liked it! okay okay *swats hands* stop judging! It tasted like a creamer, very slight tint of sweetness but decently milky. So all along I've been coupling it with dairy products like milk or milo. I noted reviews which highlighted its peculiar fishy taste, it smells neutral. The worst thing I can associate it with is perhaps fish gelatin? The smell and taste is not overpowering and can go unnoticeable, to me that is, but this is really subjective, you'd have to try it to know.
My mom and I have kept consumption at night just before bed. Sorry to gross anyone out again, the first time I held a glop of it in my mouth, it felt kinda like an exothermic reaction (the temperature rose as the powder dissolved). So I passed the verdict that this can be rather heaty and may cause additional outbreaks. Me and my theory again, but since its temperature raising, it seems better to let it work at night as you'd be inactive and not generating as much heat. Sounds legit? hahaa! As I've said, MY theory! But really, most regeneration of the body happens when you sleep (from 10PM-2AM) so that's why night consumption is encouraged to boost the effects.
I don't have the serving spoon with the refill pack, I use a Asian soup spoon to gauge my serving.
Results
I'd suffered from teenage acne and that left my cheeks with several icepick scars.
Pore size: Still in my teens, I've oily skin and enlarged pores on my T-zone. After 7-days of consumption, I've noticed smaller pores and fewer blackheads on my T-zone. Fewer blackheads (they are still there!) perhaps because of them being constricted by the collagen plumping the skin. The difference is not striking but still noticeable to some extent.
Acne: However, the heatiness did cause an additional of outbreaks, coupled with the late night sleeps due to my job. The pimples that appear are the small pus-filled elevated bumps, not those headless ones. But they are reducing as my body adjusts to the consumption.
Mood: Surprisingly, I found my mood to be better as well. I had really bad moodswings recently these couple of months but I can be smiley for the entire day the first day I've started consumption.
Radiance: Perhaps caused by the exothermic reactions? or me being more happy and active? There is a nice radiant glow paired with a red flush on my cheeks now.
Repurchase: NA. I cant give the final verdict yet, as I'm not even done with my first packet nor has it been a month. It is considered to be a pretty costly expenditure as a daily supplement for a college budget. Perhaps for my mom or grandma. What I mean is that, it is likely to be more obvious effects for a mature person than on me.
P.S.: I apologize if you guys are here for the before and after photos, I regret not having any photos to share. (I also googled for the photos before my purchase and I can understand how frustrating it is when there are no reliable results.) However, I'd come to realize that as the difference in complexion in consuming such supplements are not as obvious as makeup/skincare products, the photos can be deceiving. This is especially so under different lightings and bodily condition, since its the 'radiance/glow' that we're talking about, these are things that are normally only noticable in person. The best I could probably provide you guys is perhaps the pictures of my acne fluctuations after I begin consumption. Which, is not a pretty sight and also misleading as it could potentially discourage purchases (you're talking about youthfulness right?) So, dui bu qi, but I genuinely hope that my review did aid in your judgement of the product.
Update: 18/9/14
I've tried collagen drinks before, and I've to admit that I'm definitely tempted by the promises by the companies. I've also learnt more in-depth about them in school, and accepted that they may not work. (There are only 2 studies till date that showed that they improved elasticity) I don't truly understand how this thing works if you ask me in a biology-medicine POV but, I've definitely seen a difference as I've reported in my results above. Almost nothing in the reduction of wrinkles or elasticity but just the betterment of the overall complexion.
You'd probably heard of more people who swear by their consumption, though I'm still not one of them. I'm sure I'm not the only one. you might really want to try it for once to see if this is for you. I do have to admit that, the result sure comes with a hefty price tag.
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